FSM Presents: Las Vegas Aces 2022 WNBA Draft Recap

FSM Presents: Las Vegas Aces 2022 WNBA Draft Recap

Franchise Sports Media

 

 

The Las Vegas Aces added five women to their roster on Monday night at the 2022 WNBA Draft. Each of the drafted players will have a chance to make the team and provide an impact in their rookie seasons.

 

 

ROUND 1 PICK NO. 8 – Mya Hollingshed:

 

With the 8th overall pick of the 2022 WNBA draft, the Aces selected Mya Hollinshed in the back half of Round 1. Hollinshed, a 6’3″ forward born in Houston, TX, starred at the University of Colorado for five years, where she blossomed into an All-Pac-12 honoree during her junior and senior seasons. She earned a spot on the conference’s First Team as a senior, averaging 13.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. 

Hollingshed will bring an element of versatility to this Las Vegas frontcourt. Last season, she did an excellent job against bigs on the block by holding her ground and forcing them into shooting over length. She was even better at contesting shots against face-up bigs and sliding her feet against those who liked putting the ball on the floor.

But Hollinshed‘s calling card is her ability to stretch the floor as a stretch big. She made 51 threes during her senior season and shot it at a 39.2 percent clip. Most of her damage was done as a “catch and shoot” option, with a combination of spot-up shots and designed flare screens. She’ll have a chance to play a role alongside A’ja Wilson if her 3-point shooting transfers to the WNBA.

 

ROUND 1 PICK NO. 11 – Kierstan Bell:

 

Las Vegas selected Florida Gulf Coast guard Kierstan Bell with the 8th pick of the 2022 WNBA draft. Bell played two seasons at FGCU, where she averaged 23.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.06 blocks, and 2.0 steals per game. She was named to the ASUN First Team All-Conference both years at FGCU while she won the 2020-21 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award during her junior season and the Conference’s Player of the Year the following season.

At 6’1″, the Alliance, OH native has immense versatility in her game. Bell led FGCU in scoring (22.8), where she often excelled in transition while also being very good as a spot-up shooter and pick-and-roll player in the halfcourt. Unfortunately, her 3-point percentage was low at just 28.8 last season as she took 9.0 attempts per. However, she shot a serviceable 35.8 percent on 8.7 attempts in the 2020-21 season — she’ll need her efficiency to more closely mirror her junior season if she wants coach Hammon to allow her the green light to put shots from downtown up as a rookie.

Bell will need to be better on the other end of the court. She spent a lot of time guarding post players while at FGCU, and at 6’1″, it seems as though she’ll have to spend more time sliding her feet and defending perimeter players. But all-in-all, this is an excellent get for the Aces. Bell wasn’t expected to fall to the end of Round 1.

 

ROUND 2 PICK NO. 1 (13th Overall) – Khayla Pointer:

 

Khayla Pointer officially became an Ace on Monday evening when the team drafted her with the first pick of Round 2. The 5’7″ point guard hails from Marietta, GA, and played five seasons at LSU, where she became the only player in the school’s history (men and women) with 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists. She capped off her tremendous five-year career by averaging 19.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.8 steals — stats that earned her an SEC First Team All-Conference honor.

Pointer does it all on the court, as seen in her numbers. She thrives as a pick-and-roll decision-maker while also being good off-ball as a spot-up player. Pointer rebounds and passes well, too, well enough to earn two triple-doubles last season. She may play the role of recently-cut 2021 rookie guard Destiny Slocum but can find the court more if she can win the reserve-guard battle over veteran Sydney Colson.

 

ROUND 2 PICK NO. 11 (23rd Overall) – Aisha Sheppard:

 

The Aces used the fourth pick of the 2022 WNBA Draft to select  Virginia Tech guard Aisha Sheppard, who leaves the program as its all-time leading scorer (1,883 points) and leaves the ACC with the conferences’ record for 3-pointers (402).

Shappard played five years at VT and was used like an Allie Quigley or a JJ Redick clone. She moves a ton off the ball and runs off of staggers, pin downs, down screens, flares, etc. When she catches it, it’s likely going up. Of her 1,578 career field-goal attempts, 1,080 came from beyond the arc. Lucky for Sheppard, she made 37.2 percent of attempts and poured in 3.8 per game.

The 5’9″ guard is a sniper, has always been a sniper, and will have to remain a sniper to carve out a role in 2022 for the Aces.

 

ROUND 3 PICK NO. 11 (35th Overall) – Faustine Aifuwa:

 

Joining fellow LSU Tiger Khayla Pointer, Faustine Aifuwa was taken as Las Vegas‘ fifth and final pick of the 2022 draft.

The 6’5″ center is solid on both ends of the court. Aifuwa is strong and lanky, which bodes well when defending the post. But she’s also agile enough to move her feet in pick-and-roll coverages. In addition, she runs hard in transition and can generate some offense in that department. Otherwise, she’s mostly a post-up player deep on the blocks.

Aifuwa will join a suddenly-crowded Las Vegas frontcourt ahead of training camp, where she’ll need to stand out against Kalani Brown, Kiah Stokes, and Theresa Plaisance.

 

The Las Vegas Aces will begin the 2022 WNBA season on May 6th against the Phoenix Mercury as they get the Becky Hammon era underway. These rookies will get their first taste of professional basketball when camp opens in less than a week. Stay tuned to Franchise Sports Media for more news and updates as the WNBA season inches closer.

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-Cole Huff– Franchise Sports Media